


Persistence

by thefilthiestpiglet



Series: 4F Rogers (comics + fics) [15]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bucky will have some good days and then some very bad days, Multi, Peggy will have lots of girlfriends, institutional dubcon, steve will get the serum ;)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 12:33:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18604606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefilthiestpiglet/pseuds/thefilthiestpiglet
Summary: Some of the days in Peggy Carter's life that happen to intersect with one James Buchanan Barnes and one Steve Rogers.Or: the Peggy POV shrinkyclinks 4F endgame





	Persistence

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, this is basically a "what happened after" in 4F-verse that has been in my head for a long time. This will be updated sporadically, just like I did with His Pro-Boy and Off the Books, and I'll just write until the story is done. I have no idea how many chapters that is and how long it'll be, and though I have a pretty clear endgame in mind, most of it will be figured out along the way. 
> 
> There's going to be much less actual sex in this one, so if you're looking for actual HTP style dubcon/noncon, this is not it. However, I've marked it as explicit because I plan to draw some happy Peggy/Steve/Bucky porn to put in here, and if/when noncon happens, I'll also update the tags as needed. 
> 
> Un-betaed and written with nary a care for historical accuracy, as usual. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Peggy barely looks up from her mission reports as Phillips stomps in around 1600, obviously grousing about something. Phillips is in the unenviable position of being yelled at by the top brass and uppity sergeants alike, so most of the time she just ignores him and gets on with her work. 

Which is why she only tunes in when she hears Barnes mentioned — “…wanting that pet pro-boy of his to join the SSR! As if I’d go ass-kissing for a floozy.” 

“To be fair, Steve Rogers would make a decent SSR operative.”

Phillips turns to her with a look of incredulity. “What? That shrimpy kid who’d probably fall over in the wind?”

Peggy pulls out the folder on the Howlers and hands it to Phillips. “He’s been writing most of Barnes’ mission reports since February. Good eye for detail, decent sense of tactics and operational needs, and great with maps and diagrams.”

Phillips takes the folder and flips through it, noting the difference in handwriting and diction for the first time. Peggy leaves Phillips to it — they have a good working relationship where she ensures that all of the SSR spy and commando field assignments are running smoothly, and Phillips works the top brass into giving them what they need and leaving them alone otherwise. If Barnes wants Rogers to join the SSR, it’s Phillips who’ll have to do the legwork.

The folder lands back on her desk with a thump. “He’s good, I’ll give you that.” Phillips says grudgingly. “But I’ve got plenty of good men with Ivory League educations who could do the same work, and aren’t army whores to boot.”

Peggy tamps down on the flare of anger in her belly, and makes a show of carefully putting aside her work and standing up to face the colonel. Working relationship aside, Philips is still her superior and on paper, she is merely an assistant.

“Colonel, I know for a fact that you don’t put any stock to ivory tower education, and I don’t think you should put Rogers being a pro-boy against him. The Howlers have been fighting smarter and Barnes has become much more stable since Rogers joined.”

She held Phillips’ gaze until finally he shrugged. “Fine. But even if I don’t care that half the army has wet their dicks in that Rogers kid, the Senators whose asses I have to kiss do. If I put Rogers on the list, they’re going to ask why. And what’ll I tell them? That the kid’s done decent-but-unsanctioned work? That the highly unpredictable sergeant of an off-the-books commando unit needs his pet boy with him to keep him sane?” Phillips turns back to his desk and starts signing a stack of papers. “I’m going to have a hard enough time convincing them to keep Barnes around after the war — I’ve been hearing whispers of ‘unstable’ and ‘uncontrollable.’”

Peggy pursed her lips. She could choose to let this be. After all, there are plenty of other candidates, half of her spy network in France is currently being investigated, and she’s thinking of pushing more operations into Italy. But Rogers deserved a fair shot. She didn’t come this far just to let things be.

Peggy picks up the folder. “If I can give you a better proposition to take to Brandt, will you do it?”

Phillips was already halfway through his stack of papers. “Sure, I don’t mind long shots, just don’t waste my time with lost causes.”

——

She starts with Rogers. Even though she’s come to appreciate his work the past few months, Peggy’s long since learned to double- and triple- check her assessments, especially when her own reputation is on the line (but when is it not?)

Thankfully, the Howlers are still in town for another week and locating their favorite pub was as easy as following the sound of Dugan’s voice. Their bawdy song cuts off when she enters, and the silence grows icy when she requisitions Rogers’ services for the evening. Good. The men care for Rogers and they consider him one of the team.

Barnes has Rogers tucked behind his back and looks like he’s about to murder her. He spits out something about Rogers being off-duty and assigned to the Commandos only. Peggy sighs privately — possessiveness does not look good on Sergeant Barnes, especially when it seems to be clouding his judgement. She’s about to pull out her prepared paperwork when Rogers lays a hand on Barnes’ elbow and says simply, “Sarge.”

After the barest hesitation, Barnes backs down. The other Howlers, seeing the distinct lack of a fight, return to their revelry. Rogers gathers his things and shots her an inquiring look.

Peggy gives him an approving smile and nods towards a side door.

——

One thing that Peggy has learned about Rogers in the last hour, is that he takes his prophylactic duties very seriously, and is the utmost paragon of professionalism: courteous and respectful, without any of the undercurrent of derision and dismissiveness she tends to encounter.

The other thing that she’s learned was that Rogers is very skilled with his tongue and looks adorable when he blushes. 

_[There will be a pic here of some Peggy/Steve sexytimes. I just need to find my tablet.]_

 

After she was sated, she pulls on a loose shirt while Rogers discreetly towels his face. She pulls out a pack of Newports and offers him one. He shakes his head, “Sorry, asthma.” She shrugs and leans against the pillows. “So, where’d you learn that, Rogers? You have a girl back home?”

“No. The girls at the London pro station taught me. Most of the other guys were fairies and had no interest, and, well, I was around and they needed some stress relief, so…” Rogers looks rather cute when he ducks his head and hides his eyes behind his fringe like that.

Peggy can’t help her incredulity. “So you’re not into men? Then why be a pro-boy at all?”

Rogers shrugged. “I’m not NOT into men, I mean, it’s fine either way. It just ... well, all this stuff,” he gestures, “matters less than a chance to serve in the war effort.”

“But you could have…”

“Yeah, but I wanted to do more than collect scrap metal at home. People were laying down their lives out here, I can’t really do anything less.”

Peggy drags on her cig, and remembers packing her things to leave for the front.

“Well, I can certainly understand that sentiment. All my brothers joined up, and it seemed like the proper thing to do. Though it took some time to find someone who didn’t just assign me to the Signal Corps.”

Rogers nodded. “How’d you get to working with the Colonel, Miss Carter?”

“I was working reception at an SSR facility, heard a commotion in the back, and ran in just in time to shoot several Nazis in the face.” Peggy may not have been able to stop the operatives from killing Doctor Erskine, but at least they are now dead and she is working to ensure that the rest of HYDRA will soon join them.

Rogers’ eyes grow round in admiration. “Wowzers. I wish I could do that.”

Peggy pulls her lips into a thin smile as she thinks of all the men she’s killed, all the lives she’s sent into danger. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

They chat until finally her Newport burns down at around 0200. “Well, more paperwork awaits me. Let me escort you back to base.”

Rogers doesn’t sputter at the idea of a woman being the escort, and they talk about Barnes and the other Howlers on the walk, with Rogers adeptly navigating every turn in the road without any assistance from Peggy.

“You know the streets like a London native.”

Rogers shrugged. “Nah, this sort of stuff just come easily to me, especially big cities. It’s a little harder in the forests, but I’m starting to get the hang of it.”

They pause briefly at the threshold, and Peggy finds herself shaking Rogers’ hand with sincerity. “It was a very pleasant evening, Rogers. Thank you.” 

Rogers blushes and ducks his head again. “The same for me, Agent Carter.”

——

Barnes doesn’t stomp into her office until 0900. 

“Sergeant Barnes, please sit.” Peggy gestured to a chair, and got up for some tea. “Let me put the kettle on again — I was expecting you closer to 0700.”

That comment bewildered Barnes for precisely two seconds before he shot her a glare cold enough to ice over the Channel. “Carter, I don’t know what you’re playing at, but that stunt you pulled last night with Rogers…”

Peggy raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Did he register a complaint? He seemed in good cheer when I left him at 0300.”

“No, he’s fine.” Barnes admitted. “But color me suspicious — I ask Phillips about getting Steve into the SSR and then the same evening, you show up at the pub.” His eyes narrow. “If this is Phillips putting me in my place, he shouldn’t be going through you or Steve to do it.” 

Peggy can’t help but chuckle at Barnes’ presumptions as she pours the tea into tin mugs. “Trust me, Barnes, you aren’t worth that much to the Colonel. I was merely assessing whether Rogers would be good SSR material.”

Barnes immediately perked up. “Then you guys are putting him on the list?”

Peggy handed Barnes his tea and sat down. “The SSR will not take Rogers as-is: an untested pro-boy with poor health and a poorer pedigree.” She puts up a hand to quell Barnes’ protests. “I know that Rogers is more than that, but there’s no way to prove it. And if the Colonel brings this up to the likes of Senator Brandt, it’d simply squander Phillips’ thin political capital and discredit him.”

She watches as Barnes works his jaws and stands up to pace about the room. If only she could settle him with just one word as Rogers did last night. “I… may have a way to make this work. But, I’ll need your help to craft an offer that Brandt will approve.”

Barnes sits down. “Fine. Anything. What does Brandt need that I can deliver?”

Peggy smiles. “Captain America.”

Barnes is completely flummoxed. “Who’s that?”

“You.” 

Peggy takes pity on Barnes’ lost expression, hands him his tea again, and explains. “Right now, you’re just Sergeant Barnes, leading a ragtag commando group on missions with highly questionable practices. Since Rogers started helping with your mission reports, they’ve become more presentable,” Peggy nodded at Barnes’ startled expression. “Yes, we know. But it’s not enough. Senators like Brandt need showmanship. They need a war hero. Someone to stand for freedom, liberty, or whatever will help them justify this war. Someone they can point to and say, ‘Captain America says you should vote for me.’”

Barnes frowned, then panic crept into his eyes when he got it. “You want me to be ‘Captain America.’”

“Yes.” Peggy can’t help but feel a stab of sympathy for Barnes, especially given what Steve said last night. The man needs to be left alone, not shoved into the limelight. “As Sergeant Barnes, they have no reason to listen. But if you’re Captain America, if you’re a patriotic war hero that symbolizes the successes and sacrifices of the United States war effort… Senator Brandt will be *begging* you to join the SSR.” She crosses her legs and allows herself a small smile. “*Then* you can talk terms.”

Peggy waits as Barnes slowly chews this over. Finally, he says, “So… if I want Steve to get a job with the SSR, I’d have to become this … mascot, this dancing monkey for Uncle Sam?” The words drip with his distaste.

Peggy shrugs. “Not all the time. In fact, not *most* of the time. We’ll get Stark to help add some patriotic pizzazz to your getup, and then send a reporter over once or twice. You’ll have to make nice on camera, but I’ll keep them away from day-to-day operations.” Barnes nodded. 

“But I’m not exactly ‘Captain America’ material. Even Stark can’t turn a pig into a unicorn.”

The more Peggy spoke with Barnes, the more she saw the kind-hearted but lost man underneath the facade of thorns and sharp edges. “Captain America may be a unicorn, but you are hardly a pig. We won’t be changing much of what’s already there — native Brooklyn boy just doing his part for the war. The Nazis tried to break him, and instead he became a supersoldier, fought his way out of an enemy labor camp and saved the lives of 300 soldiers in the process. Then, instead of going home, he put together a daring commando unit to go back to take down more Nazis. Fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way, et cetera.” She looks up from her tea to catch Barnes with a raw, vulnerable look on his face, and knew she couldn’t acknowledge it. “It’s easy, really — you just have to smile at the camera and pretend you’re not constantly wishing for death.”

That startled Barnes into a bitter laugh. “All right. I’ll do it.”

They shake on it, and Peggy starts pulling out the necessary paperwork. “Great. I’ll ring up Stark after he wakes up today, and I can start reaching out to a few reporters that I know.” She hands Barnes a folder. “Rogers will need to fill out some standard paperwork, and …”

The look on Barnes’ face makes her stop. “Rogers isn’t aware that you’re doing this.”

He looked sheepish. “I haven’t talked about it with him. I’m his commanding officer, and I don’t want it to seem like I wanted…” Barnes shifted. “I don’t want to get his hopes up, since it probably won’t work.” 

Peggy frowned. “You’ll have to tell him sooner or later.” She felt anger stirring in her belly. If Barnes planned to coerce Rogers into this…

Barnes heaves a deep breath. “I know. He… he can say no to the SSR job if he doesn’t want it. I don’t want to pressure him. I just want him to have the option.”

“So, you’re doing all of this…” Peggy says slowly, as the reality of the situation dawns on her, “… on the *off chance* that Rogers may want to take the job?” 

Barnes nods, miserably. Peggy shakes her head and sighs. Love makes people do strange things, although she prays that she would never be *that* ridiculous when it gets to be her turn. “Very well. I’ll figure some way around this paperwork, and send Stark your way, probably late tonight.”

She finds herself clasped in a warm handshake, a hint of Barnes from before the war peeking through those slate blue eyes and the small grin. “Thanks, Carter. I know you didn’t have to do any of this, but it really means the world to me. If there’s anything I can do for you, just let me know.”

Peggy smiles, thinking back to the pleasant evening she spent with Rogers. “Well, we’ll see.”

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr hates me so basically I'm just on AO3 now. Subscribe if you want to be notified of updates?


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